There is one thing Steven Miles stands by in his short time as premier of Queensland.
"I've been an active, pretty reforming premier for the last 10 months. That's what I think Queensland needs," he tells AAP from a car en route from his daughter's footy game to a fish and chip shop.
The man from Mango Hill has had less than a year to show voters why he should be granted a four-year term in his own right after former leader Annastacia Palaszczuk resigned in December.
Dwindling popularity in the polls and with the gloss slowly fading away from the "Palaszczuk pensioners" that got her across the line during the pandemic, Queenslanders were not looking favourably on Ms Palaszczuk's time in power.
So in came Mr Miles after Labor's second-longest leader tearfully resigned. Then began his action plan.
It started with a refreshed cabinet then facing natural disasters in the state's north head on.
Mr Miles soon embarked on a legislative path to reducing emissions and chartering the formerly fossil-fuel state into a renewables hub before slashing public transport fares to 50 cents.
Mr Miles wants to see Queensland lead the nation across a number of areas. But to do that he requires an election victory and a mandate for Labor to govern in its own right.
His sprint to the finish tends to resemble more of a hurdles event.
Cost-of-living pressures, crime, housing and health are the big issues the Liberal National Party opposition have played out, and Mr Miles' government has scrambled to deal with it all in his short leadership tilt.
Combined with Labor trailing in the polls and the political brouhaha over the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games and stadium infrastructure, Mr Miles has had his work cut out for him.
Being short of time began when he was informed 30 minutes before Ms Palaszczuk's news conference when she announced she would step down.
"It was quite a whirlwind from when Annastacia made her announcement to the swearing in," he says.
"But also, I've always felt a bit like I needed to win an election in my own right before I'd got there properly. So I'll properly celebrate if I'm successful on the 26th."
A man from a working-class background, Mr Miles says he understands the constraints Queenslanders are experiencing, which is why his government introduced concessions such as $1000 energy rebates, free kindergarten and 20 per cent off car registration.
Mr Miles has also pledged to establish state-owned petrol stations, capped fuel price rises, another government-owned electricity entity and free school lunches for all state school kids if the government wins a fourth term.
"When people feel that pressure they want their governments to do something about it, to understand and do something about it," he says while campaigning on the Sunshine Coast.
"Just about everything I've done has been focused on trying to ease those pressures, as well as well as get us ready for when that turns a corner."
Polls point towards a change in government after Queenslanders cast their vote.
The previous LNP government was headed by Campbell Newman in 2012-15, after winning the largest parliamentary majority in the state's history, only for voters to turf them out after one term following controversies such as massive public service job cuts.
QUT political analyst and former state Speaker John Mickel says Mr Miles and LNP leader David Crisafulli cannot escape history.
"Both the leader of the opposition and the premier are prisoners to what I call premiers past," he tells AAP.
"Someone who hasn't been elected by the people has got to cast himself as something new, and I think (Miles) given it his best effort.
"In terms of facing up to the issues of the day, you'd have to say that when the opposition are backing in your entire budget the way they have, that maybe in a political sense, he's been quite successful at that.
"The other factor in published opinion polls is the desire to give anybody else a go.
"That happens at every election, but after three elections, it really starts to gather pace. So anybody new, no matter when they came in, has to overcome that mood.
"So that mood for change, would more time have given that? I'm not sure about that."
When asked if he will continue on as Labor leader should they lose the October poll, Mr Miles says he will do what's in the best interests of the party.
His legacies, though, as he says, will be 50c public transport fares, and the passing of abortion laws and access to voluntary assisted dying.
The latter two have overshadowed the opposition's campaign, as Mr Crisafulli appeared uncertain whether he would deny his MPs a conscience vote should a private members bill be introduced to parliament.
The leaders' federal counterparts have helped on the campaign trail. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton timely joined Mr Crisafulli the morning after his first debate with the premier, while Labor received a boost when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ventured north to give Mr Miles his unwavering support.
Mr Albanese says his state comrade is making a difference for Queenslanders.
"Queenslanders should remember over the next couple of weeks what it was like during that period of job losses and cuts and devastation for Queensland. That didn't take Queensland forward, it took it back.
"Steven Miles is continuing to take Queensland forward, and I'm proud to support his campaign.
"What they've managed to do is to regenerate, and that's what governments have to do."
Should the opposition form government for the first time in nine years, Mr Miles is looking forward to more time with family.
"I've always worked really hard and I've always travelled a lot, but in the previous roles at least some of the time when I'm at home, I could disconnect," he says.
"Whereas nowadays I need to have the phone with me all the time.
"I'm just not as present even when I am there, I'm conscious of that but I hope the kids understand."
